Tier sheets are commonly used in the food and beverage industry to separate stacked layers of articles such as bottles or other containers. While disposable tier sheets are known and have been widely used, reusable tier sheets have become increasingly popular. For use in the food and beverage industry, it is desirable to clean reusable tier sheets on a regular basis to avoid potential contamination.
Reusable tier sheets are typically constructed of a synthetic material such as rubber or plastic, and are formed as relatively thin, flexible, and substantially planar sheets. Due to the flexibility of the reusable tier sheets, the sheets have relatively limited structural integrity, and therefore can be difficult to clean. Typically, the reusable tier sheets are washed by hand, which can be a time consuming and difficult task. Further, the washed sheets must also be thoroughly dried. If sheets which are washed are not thoroughly dried, mold and mildew can form on the sheets, particularly if partially-dry sheets are stacked together.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to wash, dry, or otherwise process reusable tier sheets quickly and easily.
It would further be desirable to automatically achieve a substantial dryness of cleaned sheets.
It would further be desirable for a sheet cleaning system to automatically provide tension for cleaning the sheet.